Saturday, July 30, 2011

A fellow Connecticut author and I’m glad to say friend Melissa Crandall is my special guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat”.

Melissa is one of those great people who started writing little stories as soo9n as they could hold a crayon, and as she shared to us, her father recently came across one of her early stories about a dog and a fox, written in pencil with drawings… obviously into self publishing even then.

From those early days Melissa went on to write several different items, her credits include Star Trek novels “Ice Trap” (written in collaboration as L.A. Graf) and “Shell Game,” Quantum Leap novel “Search and Rescue,” and “Earth 2.” She is a contributor to Amoskeag: The Journal of Southern New Hampshire University, The Geranium Farm Cookbook, 5.5BW – Poems and Stories, and Serve It Forth: Cooking with Anne McCaffrey. Her articles have appeared in Animal Watch – the magazine of the ASPCA, NEWN Magazine, Strides – the magazine of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, and various newspapers.

Her first book “Darling Wendy and Other Stories” a set of spellbinding stories that which liked a sketched character cover the light, dark and many of the colors in between. One reviewer described it as… “An artful look into the seamy underside of Neverland, the price of eternal youth and the incompatibility of two alien worlds. The "alliance" at the end is indeed surprising and, I must admit, satisfying.”

Now Melissa’s latest YA novel “Weathercock” has charged onto the blogosphere, finding a place on numerous bookshelf’s.

About "Weathercock":

Weathercock. The name evokes flames and chaos, and a mythic hero who will one day change the world. Young Kinner - betrayed by those he loves and sentenced to die - knows only one thing: in a world where women hold all the power and men are nothing but property, heroes are hard to come by.

Determined to find a life on his own terms, he flees execution only to discover he knows nothing about survival. Used to relying on others, he dreams of rescue. Instead of the Weathercock, what he gets is Rai and Bayna, mercenary soldiers on the run from the determined (and increasingly psychotic) Commander Remeg.

The last thing they need is to play nursemaid to a half-grown whelp, but a madwoman's dark secret soon ties their fates. For a while, things actually go their way until further treachery casts a dark wing over the travelers. Alone once more, Kinner must discover within the bravery and skill to save not only himself, but also his friends. And what of Weathercock? Can someone who doesn't even exist appear when Kinner needs him most?

As one reviewer wrote…

Weathercock made me laugh, cry, and kept me on the edge of my seat! My whole family read it! Each of us agreed on one thing, we want MORE! Excellent book!

Well that person wish looks like coming to fruition, as her previous planned work “Call of Blood” seems to have hit a bit of a bumpy road, so she is now, as we heard, starting to create the follow up to Weathercock.

What more can you say about this great book? I’ll let another author/reviewer answer that question…

Melissa Crandall has written a rousing adventure with a unique twist: What...if women were the dominant gender and men were smaller and weaker and considered only good for household chores and procreation? And what...if some people wanted to change that? Crandall has peopled her story with sympathetic and believable characters, and her skill at developing these characters and making them "breathe" is superlative. Even minor characters are developed with uncommon care, and each comes alive on the page. In addition, Crandall's pacing is taut and nearly flawless. This novel is a page-turner! The climax was both surprising and satisfying, and it was delivered with the precision and flare of a gifted writer. --Jim Mastro, author, The Talisman of Elam

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Melissa Crandall".

Thursday, July 28, 2011

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is Orlando native Jeremy Johnson. As we learned during the show, it’s a blessing that he was even here to chat to us as when he was six months old, his father tried to kill him and his mother.

His creative fervor showed when he was as young as eight when he got sent home after writing a “too nasty for his age” murder story. In high school he wrote several mysteries, and though over the next many years he has worked in theme park management, he has now gone back to use his creative juices with his first, but by no means last novel “Perfect?”

During the show, he described how the idea came to how from a dream, where an autistic child dressed in white was standing in the middle of the road. Though his story is fictional, he has considerable experience with autistic children, which within Perfect’s pages, and many have remarked on, help people understand just how much parents can struggle with children’s imperfections.

“Perfect?" is a mystery novel in which a wealthy family copes badly in adapting to a five-year-old daughter who is discovered to be autistic.

About “Perfect?”:

The McDaniel family seems to have a perfect life: wealth, prestige and privilege. One night the mother, Jenna—who has a problem with alcohol and prescription drugs—goes out with the girls and ends up with a one-night-stand that changes her life forever. She becomes pregnant by the stranger, and after some years it is discovered that her daughter is autistic. The mother struggles with the child’s imperfection and is ultimately driven to seek the help of a kidnapper/killer. Her husband determinedly investigates his daughter’s disappearance.

Readers will witness a kidnapping, murder, and a shocking ending to a story that is pageturningly unforgettable. With a second book “Behind the Stained Glass" already with his publisher, a third in the editing stage and a fourth already underway, as I said at the beginning, the name Jeremy Johnson is one we’ll hear a lot more about.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Jeremy Johnson ".

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Some people write to tell a story, others to provide help, others again for healing, the book about the life of today’s guest Teresa Joyce provides all that and so much more.

Her book "There's a Fine Line" covers more than one issue; it’s a true story that ranges over a period of many years. It covers the first married years of my mother’s life, and the abuse she received from my now deceased father. The hardship she found within her life in so many ways, no one should have ever had to go through, but sadly it just seemed to follow her around.

Her motivation for writing the book to face and deal with her demons, as well to be able to reach out to others.

As Teres’a states… It’s easy to think that you are alone in your pain I know I did. You convince yourself, that you’re the only person in the world this could ever have happened to. That in some manner you’re a bad person, only receiving what you are due.

My dearest hope, that this book goes some way to dispelling that misconception. I also hope that in sharing my story, people with similar experiences may find some peace within its pages and courage to heal. I would like to think that my book somehow imparts to others, the hope it gave me on its conclusion. I still struggle to find some kind of insight as how to heal the child within me. But it’s long past time that I did so she has suffered enough.

Stories about how her life was ruined in so many ways, from shotguns to cutting off one of his fingers and posting it through her letter box. Her story resembles hell in so many ways but that is what her life was, suppressed or not once the box of memories was opened the past came flooding back, emotions she had to deal with.

Again as Teresa herself states…Understand that this book/memoir is just a little different to most other memoirs i.e. most are written by ghost writers. This was something I never even considered. To my mind I had to be the one to write this. I hoped and needed to be able to express my feelings within the pages, as no other person could. With the best outcome being, that you would feel like you were taking this journey with me.

Strangely I feel an amount of support, being able to think that you are out there. There is a fine line between sanity and insanity; I know this personally, through the experiences I have had to go through involving my stepfather. I also have a personal insight of my own, of a mind battling to stay on the right side of that line, because in truth, I came so very close to crossing over myself.

“There’s a Fine Line” is not only a book that will help many, but is one that people should read to understand as well as educate.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Teresa Joyce".

Saturday, July 23, 2011

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is one of those authors whose been writing since they could first hold a crayon, and actually has many of the early exercise books full of their stories. However home schooling six children would not normally allow much time to write, unless as my guest Raquel Byrnes explained during the show, you are a bit of a night owl.

Raquel lives in Southern, California, and considers herself an inspirational fiction writer creating romantic suspense with an edge-of-your-seat pace novels. Her first book in the Shades of Hope series, “Purple Knot” was released on June 3rd which will shortly be followed by “Ruby Dawn” with a the third in the trilogy “Bayou Blue” available in 2012.

Raquel is one of those authors that take the research for a novel very seriously, she has taken private detective courses, gun classes, and underground tours to get every detail right for her novels.

About “Purple Knot”:

When her best friend, is murdered, Reyna Cruz doesn't believe the police have the whole story. An investigator by trade, she has the talent to track Summer’s killer, but when clues lead to a family connection and a vicious gang, she suddenly becomes the hunted. At the end of her rope, Reyna must decide to trust the God she believes abandoned her.

Wanting justice for his sister’s murder, lawyer Jimmy Corbeau agrees to help Reyna—even though she’s his ex-fiancé, and their break-up devastated him. Romance is reawakened, but so are memories of their tragic undoing. Jimmy must decide if he will fight for a future with Reyna or allow their past to derail the investigation and his second chance at love.

When the investigation goes awry and Summer’s infant daughter is kidnapped, Reyna must put her life on the line. Will Jimmy and Reyna survive the desperate measures it takes to recover his niece, catch a killer, and secure a happily-ever-after for them all?

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Raquel Byrnes".

Thursday, July 21, 2011

So before the show started I just knew with my lack of pronouncing names correctly I’d have trouble with today’s guest Garasamo Maccagnone, thank goodness after one try he allowed me to call him “Mac”.

Mac, as I am now going to call him, was one of five children being raised in what can only be described as hard times. His father as we learned was quite a character, the story of how he climbed out the bathroom window to dress up as a tramp and try and sell his wife vouchers was shared with us.

His ambition of becoming a baseball star was thwarted by an arm injury so he concentrated more on his writing, though as we learned the baseball line was not that far away in some of his stories.

The founder of a successful airfreight business, Mac now focuses on his literary career.

His first book was a children’s book story, The Suburban Dragon a story about a family interacting and having fun on their own, without the aid of a computer, television, or video game.

His novel St. John of the Midfield was created after his sons were signed up to play soccer only for Mac to find he’d also been signed but to coach the team. This lead the baseball play, don’t know anything about soccer Mac to have to learn the game. The story, "St. John of the Midfield," is fairly accurate as to how he came to understand the game and who taught him.

Other writings by Mac are “For the Love of St. Nick” and a collection of short stories entitled, My Dog Tim and Other Stories.

His latest though production is Sentiments of Blue a short story collection.

About Sentiments in Blue:

Set in a Michigan factory, the title story takes readers inside a workplace dominated by a ruthless bully and his cronies. While explaining the actions taking place around him, it becomes clear that the narrator yearns to escape the blue-collar life handed down to him from his father. “Perfect Game” unfolds during a minor league baseball game with Chi-Chi Gomez on the mound, a fearless pitcher who never fails to brush a few batters back from the plate–a space he considers his personal property. Along with other stories, the book also features original poems including “Uncle Nardo’s Store,” “My Father’s Foot,” and “The Malediction of Miss Holstein.”

With another novel under way and if his daughter has anything to do with it a further children’s book, I am sure we’ll hear more about Garasamo Maccagnone

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Garasamo Maccagnone".

Saturday, July 16, 2011

When I first started finding out about today’s guest and his books, first thing that caught my eye was his name, rather pen name… Davis Aujourd'hui remembering my French, Aujourd'hui means “today, which in the case of Davis is a good name. The author himself has gone through demons, and his book "Putting the Pieces Together” is an anthology of a gay man's journey toward self-acceptance. It is a poignant and intimate book chronicling recovery from mental illness, sexual addiction, and alcohol. But what of Davis…today. His wonderful delve into the world of Holiness “The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude” is a satire with a spiritual message.

Take a trip to the Have A Heart convent in Bucksnort, Wisconsin. There, you'll meet a nun you're not likely to forget - Sister Mary Olga Fortitude. Sister Mary Olga is an irreverent nun who has some unique spiritual views that differ from those of the Pope. She's a great believer of "to each, their own." She also loves her Marlboros and her bourbon. Just don't let the Reverend Mother in on her secret.

Iin Bucksnort, you'll meet a zany cast of all-too-human characters. There's a lot of secret-keeping going on here, but Sister Mary Olga will be sure to deliver the goods in order to provide you with good and bad examples of holiness.

The Reverend Mother is a former prostitute. The convent's chef is a gay cowboy. Priscilla Bunhead is the town busybody who opens some other closet doors. She, along with the other folks on Dinkledorf Drive, serves up examples of what not to do.

One thing's for sure. These characters will lighten your load and help you to not take life so seriously. Get ready for non-stop laughs.

This first book has been followed up by “Babes in Bucksnort”, where you meet t the Reverend Billy-Bob Blunthead and his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus. There is as we learned a third book currently in the editing stage.

Davis told us during the show that he already has twelve books written and the ideas just keep flowing, so you know this series that will have you laughing out loud, will soon be filling people’s book shelves.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Davis Aujourd'hui".

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

After a failed attempt at a show yesterday due to line issue it was good to have my guest back on today’s show with both of us able to hear and understand each other and able to produce a great show to share with the listeners.

Normally on the top of the blog pages I have a picture of the cover on one of my guests books, though my guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is indeed an author in her own right, she is far more than that, hence this picture.

Elizabeth, or rather Liz Burton, is the multi-talented editor of Zumaya Publications a small press publishing house based in Austin, Texas, and has been the home of many wonderful and talented authors. Her and some of her authors are currently touring the blogosphere to celebrate their fifth year anniversary with a month long birthday bash... hence the birthday picture.

Though as stated earlier, Liz is not just the publisher and editor, she is a writer as well. She is the the author of several highly praised fantasy novels, her Everdark Wars trilogy consisting of Dreams of Darkness, Shadow of the Scorpion and The Everdark Gate this has been followed by the standalone novel The Ugly Princess, which has even been translated into Swedish. Under the name of Dymitia, she has written three erotic novellas, "The Loremaster," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Remembered Glory".

As we learned during the show Liz and Zumaya have todate published more than 200 titles in all areas of ﬁction as well as some superb nonﬁction, many of which have won awards. Gideon by Chester Aaron was selected the silver medal winner in the YA-Cultural/Historical category of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, her own The Everdark Gate received the Dream Realm Award in Fantasy for speculative fiction in ebook format, and Busting Loose: Cancer Survivors Tell You What Your Doctor Won’t by Cheryl Swanson received the silver medal in the Living Now Book Awards.

Publishing 20-25 titles annually, Zumaya is one of a new breed of book publisher utilizing up-to-date technology in new ways… I’m sure we’ll hear from some the authors Liz and Zumaya have helped become published authors in future shows.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Elizabeth K Burton".

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Carrie Harris (no relation to the villain in my book “Across the Pond” I’m sure) is one of the wonderful group of debut YA authors for this year, part of the class of 2K11. Before the show there was some doubt as to if Carrie would be able to make the show travelling with her family as she was. The start of the show where we lost complete connection to Blog Talk Radio, followed by a disconnection for Carrie could have been a worry, however once the initial gremlins were out of the work we went on to have a truly enjoyable “A Book and a Chat” with this popular YA author, that was full of interest and humor.

An assortment of jobs that included an autopsy coordinator/statistician, managing the place that researches Mad Cow disease in humans, and spending a lot of time looking at brains and body parts, was an obvious background for her to write a book about Zombies. That and of course her obvious sense of humor has produced her debut YA Novel “Bad Taste in Boys” which even before its launch this week has produced hugely exciting responses and reviews around the blogosphere.

Not the least of these is the way people have picked up on the “sugar lips” on the books cover… (Zombie football players…sugar lips? Your guess is as good as mine) pictures and information of which can be found on her terrific web site.

Carrie tried to produce her first book during the NaNoWriMo but the planned fantasy satire and somehow turned into a political satire halfway through. Eventually she decided to stop trying to write something serious and wrote with her obvious humor producing something that got the attention of her agent “Kate Schafer Testerman” the first novel started doing the literary rounds, but it was “Bad Taste In Boys” which sold in about a month.

About “Bad Taste In Boys”

Super-smartie Kate Grable gets to play doctor, helping out her high school football team. Not only will the experience look good on her college apps, she gets to be this close to her quarterback crush, Aaron. Then something disturbing happens. Kate finds out that the coach has given the team steroids. Except . . . the vials she finds don’t exactly contain steroids. Whatever’s in them is turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless, flesh-eating . . . zombies.

Unless she finds an antidote, no one is safe. Not Aaron, not Kate’s brother, not her best friend . . . not even Kate . . .

As stated the book has before its launch date this next week received some terrific reviews, as one fellow author wrote…

“BAD TASTE IN BOYS is a nonstop romp, with more mayhem than a mall full of mocha-chugging monkeys. I loved watching Kate try to keep her sensible, scientific head amidst rampaging zombies and amorous football players (often the same people). Bring me my next dose of Carrie Harris NOW!” – Jeri Smith-Ready

A follow up book currently called “Bad Hair Day” which you might guess from the title might include werewolves is already in the editing state, so we know this great new book will not be a one off, and we’ll hear more of the name Carrie Harris in the future

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend sixty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Carrie Harris"

Thursday, July 7, 2011

My guest today Hugh Aaron, was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a graduate of The University of Chicago where his professors encouraged him to pursue a literary career. However, after three years serving in World War II, he made his living as CEO of his own manufacturing business while continuing to write. Since he sold his business in 1984 he has devoted full time to his writing resulting so far in two novels, a travel memoir, a short story collection, two collections of business essays, a book of movie reviews, a child's book and a letter collection. Add to that the numerous full length and one-act stage plays, screenplays and his collection of five novellas entitled "QUINTET" and you will see that the career has indeed been followed.

His latest novel “Stories from a Lifetime” is indeed that a selection of stories ranging from one page to fifty pages written by Hugh during the years that he came upon one day hidden away in a draw.

About Stories from a Lifetime:

The book carries readers through a widely diverse series of life’s peaks and valleys with poignant, clear-eyed vision and understanding that is only gradually gained across the course of a lifetime through endurance and honest appraisal of the emotional rollercoaster that we all ride.

Hugh Aaron delicately reveals the world through the innocent eyes of a young boy, through those of a soldier far from home during wartime, and those of a struggling businessman and faltering husband. He is unafraid to reveal panic beneath a façade of success, the deep and hollow sadness that may exist in an outwardly happy marriage, the yearning we feel to make a break for freedom from the rat race, the unexpected emotional responses that shift lives far beyond the expected course of events.

These stories form a welcome, and increasingly rare, honest, grounded, and beautifully written collection that will touch nerves while sympathizing with what it means to be human.

With each story written over fifty five years, at a different period of Hugh’s life, being inspired by what issues that were uppermost in his mind at the time. In a sense, the totality of the collection is a disguised autobiography.

The book is a great read, being short stories it provides a lot of stopping points for those of us who are busy moms or just busy and on the go without a lot of reading time at once. I enjoyed the wide range of subjects of his stories. They were written over a lifetime and you can see that when you read them. Some of them are wise and thought provoking, and others reflect characters that are still very much seeking answers.

All of the stories are well written and written with honesty and heart.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Hugh Aaron"

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is Carole Eglash-Kosoff, Carol graduated from UCLA spent her career in the apparel industry and teaching fashion retail, marketing, and sales at the college level.

Following the death of her husband, she volunteered to teach in South Africa. In 2006 her first book, The Human Spirit – Apartheid's Unheralded Heroes, which tells the true stories of an amazing men and women who have devoted their lives during the worst years of apartheid to help the children, the elderly, and the disabled of the townships. These people cared when no one else did and their efforts continue to this day. South Africa though is just one of the seventy countries Carole has visited.

She is an avid student of history, and she researched about the decades preceding and following the Civil War for nearly two years, including time in Louisiana, the setting for her novel “When Stars Align”.

About “When Stars Align”

When Stars Align, is set in 19th century Louisiana, at a time and place where mixed-race relationships are both illegal and unacceptable. How can these defiant lovers–and their love–survive? The time is a crucial period in American history–the Civil War and the years of Reconstruction following it–and the characters are Thaddeus and Amy, who share a forbidden love that can get them both killed. For he is a mulatto ex-slave, and she is white. In the novel, whenever Amy asks if she and Thaddeus will ever be together, his answer is “When stars align.”

Carole has received some fantastic reviews for her book, as one person wrote…

This is an incredibly well written book about the death of a civilization and the struggles to survive in the new era. Carole Eglash-Kosoff successfully incorporates the primary thoughts of plantation owners, slaves, and visitors in the South to powerfully illustrate in a straightforward manner what plantation life really felt like. The dialogue is simply smashing. The characters are realistic and resonate on a soulfully deep level. She makes you feel what each character felt, especially the love that Thaddeus and Amy have for one another; a love which could have them killed. The end of the story isn't a traditional happy ending, and you will really feel the strong bond Thaddeus and Amy had for one another. Carole Eglash-Kosoff makes you feel sympathetic to people with totally different values from your own, which is by no means an easy feat. When Stars Align should not be missed, particularly for those who enjoy historical fiction.

With a follow up novel “Winds of Change” already in the editing state, I’m sure the name Carole Eglash-Kosoff is one that will continue to be seen on book shelves.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Carole Eglash-Kosoff"

About the Show

About Me

Born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Barry, also known as
“Storyheart”, left his beloved England in 2000,moving to the USA.

Better
known for his short romance stories on the net and in his book “Stories
from the Heart”.Barry is popular for narrating his stories on local TV
or as a guest on other media stations,where his whit, oratory, and
old-fashioned English charm make him a popular interviewee.